Understanding the purple lines

Last week we had reached a pact on discussing about the UPT (Urine Pregnancy Test). Here I am with the new post. I had done the blunder of going to a Gyn as soon as I felt I have conceived. Thankfully I was. But, there have been cases when the whole family sets out for a hospital visit spree to come back disappointed. To avoid that predicament, do the UPT at home before running to a Gyn. Even if you are highly educated and well knowledgeable there can be instances when you misread your pregnancy test. It can be either due to ignorance, or lack of proper instructions in the kit or nervousness. A NEGATIVE UPT DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN THAT YOU ARE NOT PREGNANT. For a first time mother, right from reading the test, everything is a dilemma. So first let’s  see how to analyse a UPT.

There have been cases when a single line is misunderstood for a positive result. Any urine sample would give a single line. It is the control band. To compare the test sign. So, if someone say that a single line is positive, tell them that even their sample would give a single line. If that single line is not there that means the whole kit is a waste of money and time. It is mentioned in the kit that you should take the first sample in the morning, you should not drink water etc. It hasn’t worked in my case. My first UPT was done in the evening and I also had a lot of water. But again it is always good to follow the instructions. There can be cases of feeble positive line. Feeble or strong, a second purple line means it is positive. But we should definitely consult a Gyn. The feeble line can either be an indication that Beta hCG is not yet produced or an indication of ectopic  (tubal)pregnancy.

Beta hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is a hormone produced during pregnancy, the quantity of which is analysed during the pregnancy test. UPT will be positive only if beta hCG level is high. Sometimes, perhaps due to irregular periods or late conception, beta hCG level would not be sufficient to show in the UPT but a blood test might show a higher level. For my second pregnancy, I had four negative UPT and one negative blood test. But I had a motherly instinct that I hav3 conceived and did another UPT, which was feebly positive , followed by a blood test. This might be Thu reason why it is said that you should do the UPT about a week after missed periods. You can repeat after one more week if you didn’t have the periods.

That much for now.Time for the congrats and sweets. Next week we will see the problems during the first trimester. I again confirm that I am not a doctor.I am sharing my experiences as a mother of three children. Because sometimes, experiences help you more than theories.